Including the loss of CRP acres on the landscape after the 2007 re-enrollment process, Wisconsin will likely lose 180,000 to 200,000 acres of CRP between now and 2010, Hull said.

"At the peak of CRP enrollment in the mid-90s, Wisconsin had upward of 700,000 acres enrolled in CRP. It's too early to say what the impact will be on pheasants, and it's likely there will be a delay in any impact as we gradually lose CRP."

In the pheasant-rich southeast, the impact may be a few years away, but it is coming, according to Missy Sparrow.

"We will be losing some key grasslands to CRP removal due to high corn prices and landowner frustrations with the Farm Services Administration," Sparrow said. "An important grass field in a PHG area is being pulled out so the landowner can lease it to a local dog trainer. It is also being pulled out of CRP. The landowner is getting upset over rule changes in CRP since FSA has been in charge of it. He felt it was not worth the effort to keep it. I have heard this frustration with many landowners. I suspect most will go into corn. Some of that property is in the heart of one of our wild release areas, so it may have a big impact on wild pheasant populations in that area."

In western Wisconsin, where there is less pheasant habitat to begin with, CRP provides critical nesting cover. There, too, farmers are plowing grassland to plant crops.

"CRP is starting to come out," Harvey Halvorsen said. "Contracts are not being offered for re-enrollment, or only for a year or two. I've definitely noted former nest-cover areas plowed under this spring."

As of this writing, the 2007 Farm Bill was being debated in Congress. Any sportsman or sportswoman who cares about the future of pheasant hunting should to take a few minutes to call, write or e-mail their congressman to encourage him or her to support conservation programs in the Farm Bill, because whatever comes out of Congress this year will dictate which way conservation programs go in the years ahead.

HUNTING OUTLOOK
Despite the gloomy outlook for the federal alphabet programs, pheasant hunting opportunities should be good in Wisconsin again this year, both for wild birds and on put-and-take public hunting areas.

Pheasant production at the state game farm at Poynette has been restored to former levels after several years of reduced production. Again, this year, the game farm will release about 50,000 pheasants on PHGs throughout the season. Hunters can check with local DNR service centers for a schedule of release dates and locations.

The Poynette game farm also provides another 50,000 day-old pheasant chicks to hunt clubs and other groups that raise and release them on private land open to public hunting. Wildlife managers can provide a list of clubs that raise birds, but hunters must contact them to learn when and where they will be released.

Many PHGs throughout southern and eastern Wisconsin will be stocked with birds this season. Visit www.dnr.wi.gov and search for "pheasant hunting" to find maps of most WAs and PHGs, along with a list of these areas that may be stocked with pheasants, and other pertinent information. Signs indicate state-owned and leased property boundaries, so be sure to stay off adjacent private land, and pick up any litter you see -- even if it's not yours.

The larger areas include: Killsnake in Calumet County, Tom Lawin in Chippewa County, Pine Island in Columbia County, Badfish Creek and Mazomanie in Dane County, Horicon and Mud Lake in Dodge County, Eldorado in Fond du Lac County, Brooklyn in Green County, White River in Green Lake County, Avoca in Iowa County, Jefferson Marsh, Lake Mills and Waterloo in Jefferson County, Yellowstone in Lafayette County, Evansville and Footeville in Rock County, Kettle Moraine in Sheboygan County, Walworth and Waukesha counties, Kickapoo Valley Reserve in Vernon County, Theresa, in Washington County and Scuppernong in Waukesha County.

The Richard Bong Wildlife Area in Kenosha County has special regulations for pheasant hunting and is stocked daily throughout the season. This is a popular destination, and hunter numbers are regulated, so call ahead for details, (262) 878-5600. A daily fee is charged and birds of either sex are legal game at Bong.

Hunters will find plenty of wild-bird hunting opportunities as well. Top spots include private land in the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area in east-central Wisconsin and some of the larger WAs mentioned above. Brian Buenzow said that at times, the ratio of stocked to wild birds taken at places like Evansville or Footeville WAs is 50/50, indicating good wild bird production. In Walworth County, Bloomfield, Turtle Creek and Turtle Valley WAs all hold wild pheasants, but they have extensive wetlands and can be difficult to hunt. In Sheboygan County, Sheboygan Marsh has good numbers of wild birds.

Many landowners are rather protective of "their" birds for the first few weeks of the season. However, by November -- and certainly after deer season -- it is easier to gain permission to hunt on private land.

To hunt private land, contact landowners well in advance of the season and don't count on hunting opening weekend. As a rule, the farther west you go, the easier it is to get permission to hunt. Thanks to the CRP buildup in western Wisconsin through the 1990s and early 2000s, there are now roosters in areas where they did not exist a few years ago.

If you are willing to work at it, there are great bird-hunting opportunities in Wisconsin. Get out there and enjoy it while you can!

(Editor's Note: The author's 60-minute video, Hunting Dog Video Magazine, contains exciting footage on training and hunting with a variety of pointing and flushing breeds. To order, send $19.95, plus $4.50 shipping, to Outdoor Videos, Dept. GF-10, P.O. Box 433, Grafton, WI 53024. Wisconsin residents need to add 5 percent state and appropriate county sales tax. This video, along with other videos and several wild-game cookbooks, is also available on the author's Web site: www.dansmalloutdoors.com.)